Reclosable container

ABSTRACT

A container is provided which may be erected from a flat blank and which requires a single area of adhesive to seal. This area is between the outer surface of an inner wall and the inner surface of an overlapping wall. Weakened lines of separation are provided in the overlapping wall and continue across the top panel, providing a potential opening. The container may be reclosed by tucking the area torn from the overlapping wall inwardly of the inner wall.

United States Patent 1 91 Derauf i4 1 June 5, 1973 [54] RECLOSABLE CONTAINER FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1 lnvemo" Richard E? Madison, 473,018 9/1937 Great Britain ..229/s1 TC [73] Assigneez Hoemer' W Id -f Corporation, 1,129,223 9/1956 France ..229 s1 TC Ramsey County, Minn. Primary ExaminerDonald F. Norton Flled 1971 Attorney-Robert M. Dunning [2]] Appl. N0.: 130,226

[57] ABSTRACT A container iS Provided which may be erected from a 581 Field of Search ..229/51 R, 51 c, 51 TC, flat blank requres a m? adhes've 229/51 SC 51 TS 51 D 38 to seal. Th1s area 1s between the outer surface of an inner wall and the inner surface of an overlapping [56] References Cited wall. weakened lines of separation are provided in the overlapping wall and continue across the top panel, UNITED STATES PATENTS providing a potential opening; The container may be 1,755,690 4/1930 Heim .......229/38 r l ed y king he area torn from he overlapping 3,454,209 7/1969 Persson ..229/33 wall inwardly of the inner wall. 2,! 15,673 4/1938 Stompe ..229/5l TS X 2,973,086 2/1961 Thompson ..229/5l TC UX 1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures PMENTEDJUH 51975 SHEET 10F 2 4 INVENTOR RICH/4R0 E. DERAUF BY anal PATENTEDJUH 5M5 3.737.095

SHEET 2 OF 2 INVENTOR HG. 6 RICHARD f. DERA UF ATTORNEY RECLOSABLE CONTAINER This invention relates to an improvement in reclosable container and deals particularly with a container which may be sealed closed, may be readily opened, and may be reclosed.

. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In plants which pack food products, for example meat products, extreme care must be taken not to contaminate the material being packed. Some companies will not permit container sealing equipment to be used in the plant where the packing takes place for fear that some of the adhesive will come into contact with the product. Many such packers even object to the use of stitching or stapling machines, for if the stable is improperly clinched there is a possibility that loose staples will become mixed with the product contaminating the same. In such plants difficulty is experienced in providing a container which may be erected from its flat form in a packing plant, and which may be closed without danger of contamination. It is also often important that the containers be capable of being reclosed after being opened with no danger than an adhesive covered surface will come in contact with the remaining product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a container which may be manually set up, filled, and closed, the closure seal being applied to a single area which never comes into contact with the product. The arrangement is such that the container may be filled while the container is in partially set up condition, the closing of the container may be completed, and a sealing area may be affected between areas which never come into contact with the meat product before or after the container is opened and reclosed.

A further feature of the presentinvent'ion resides in the provision of a container including a five panel construction in which the front panel of the container is formed of two overlapping plies of paperboard. U- shaped weakened lines of separation extend into the outer ply of the front panel, and continue across the top panel spaced from the ends thereof. By detaching the area defined by the U-shaped out line and tearing the central portion of the top along the weakened lines of separation extending across the top, the contents of the container are exposed. The container may be reclosed by tucking the flap formed by the U-shaped cut lines inwardly of the front wall.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the container in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container in open position.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container in reclosed position.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the partially closed container prior to filling.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the container in partially closed position showing another manner in which the container may be filled.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the container is formed.

'As indicated in FIG. 6 of the drawings, the container includes a bottom panel 10 which is hingedly connected along parallel fold lines 11 and 12 to a front wall 13 and to a rear wall 14. The rear wall 14 is hingedly connected along a fold line l5.to a top panel 16. The top panel 16 is hingedly connected along a fold line 17 to a fifth panel 19 which forms an outer front panel. End wall closure flaps 20 are hingedly connected to the ends of the bottom wall along parallel fold lines 21. End wall closure flaps 22 are hingedly connected to opposite ends of the top wall panel 16 along fold lines 23 which are aligned with the fold lines 21. Front corner flaps 24 are hingedly connected to the front edges of the closure flaps 22 along fold lines 25 which are substantially extensions of the fold line 17. Rear corner flaps 26 are foldably connected to the rear edges of the closure flaps 22 along aligned fold lines 27 which are substantially aligned with the fold line 15.

Weakened lines of separation 29 extend across the top panel 16 in spaced relation to the fold lines 23. A generally U-shaped weakened lines of separation 30 is provided in the front panel 19. The weakened line of separation 30 includes a pair of arcuate cut lines 31 communicating with the ends of the weakened lines 29, and a central cut line 32, the-cut lines 31 and 32 preferably extending completely through the paperboard. The curved cut lines 31 and the intermediate out line 32 are connected by perforated lines 33. The U-shaped cut lines 30 define a potential flap 34 when the container is open.

When the container is closed and filled it appears as indicated in FIG. 1 of the drawings. By pressing inwardly on the center portion of the flap 34 above the cut line 32, the perforated lines 33 are broken. This permits the flap 34 to be raised and pulled upwardly, ripping the top panel along the perforated lines v29.

When it is desired to reclose the container, this may be accomplished by tucking the flap 34 inwardly of the inner front panel 13.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in RECLOSABLE CONTAINER; and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim: 1. A container including: a front wall, bottom wall, rear wall and top wall hingedly connected along parallel fold lines, 7

a fifth wall hingedly connected to the forward edge of said top wall and overlapping said front wall,

an outer end wall hingedly connected to each end of said top wall and extending downwardly therefrom,

closure flaps hingedly connected to the front and rear edges of said end walls and folded into face contact with the ends of said front and rear walls inwardly thereof,

an inner end wall connected to each end of said bottom wall and folded into face contact with the corresponding one of said outer end walls, the front and rear edges of said inner end wall engaging said closure flaps to hold said corner flaps in right angular relation to said outer end walls,

an area of adhesive connecting said front wall and said fifth wall outwardly of the area within said U shaped weakened lines, whereby before said adhesive is applied, said frontwall, said fifth wall and said closure flaps secured to said forward edges of said outer end wall may be indepen-- dently folded into position for closure by closure means of the type'used to close'tubular paste end cartons. 

1. A container including: a front wall, bottom wall, rear wall and top wall hingedly connected along parallel fold lines, a fifth wall hingedly connected to the forward edge of said top wall and overlapping said front wall, an outer end wall hingedly connected to each end of said top wall and extending downwardly therefrom, closure flaps hingedly connected to the front and rear edges of said end walls and folded into face contact with the ends of said front and rear walls inwardly thereof, an inner end wall connected to each end of said bottom wall and folded into face contact with the corresponding one of said outer end walls, the front and rear edges of said inner end wall engaging said closure flaps to hold said corner flaps in right angular relation to said outer end walls, weakened lines of separation in said top wall near, but spaced from, opposite ends thereof entending across said top wall, weakened lines of separation in said fifth wall extending in Ushaped relation with said U-shaped weakened lines communicating with the forward ends of said weakened lines in said top wall, and the base of said U-shaped weakened lines extending generally parallel to, and spaced from, the upper and lower edges of said fifth wall, an area of adhesive connecting said front wall and said fifth wall outWardly of the area within said U-shaped weakened lines, whereby before said adhesive is applied, said front wall, said fifth wall and said closure flaps secured to said forward edges of said outer end wall may be independently folded into position for closure by closure means of the type used to close tubular paste end cartons. 